


A light in the Darkness

by Dark_Huntress_Moony



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dorian is everyone's sassy best friend, F/M, Gossip, Hurt/Comfort, I don't know what to tag this as, Jealous Solas, Slow Build, girl talk
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-12-30
Updated: 2015-01-16
Packaged: 2018-03-04 10:05:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,161
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3063851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Huntress_Moony/pseuds/Dark_Huntress_Moony
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Solas thought that the waking world had nothing left to offer him. That was until he met Caladwen Lavellan, a Dalish who tossed his world on it's head. Couple that with the Breach, the demons pouring out of the fade, and a 1000 year old Magister as well as his own secrets, Solas feels like the world is a dark and ugly place. But the Light of Caladwen's smile...well it does her name justice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Solas thought the waking world held nothing new for him. He thought he had seen all it had to offer him. That was until the Lady Seeker dragged him out of his cell and threw him into the center of the prison. He had to shift himself or he would have landed on the young woman laying sprawled out on the cold unyeilding stone.

 

"You are a mage. Keep her alive. She must answer our questions." He looked up to see the Lady Seeker step back to another human woman at the door, the Left and Right hands of the Divine.

 

Solas looked at the woman, she wore an ill-fitting green mercenary jacket, it was then he noticed that she was not human but an elf. She was slender as per body build of an elf, she was sprawled on her side, her hair spilling over the upper half of her face, hair the color of the summer sun and it pooled around her head, he guessed her hair was perhaps to her mid back. Without thinking he reached for her, brushing her golden hair from her face revealing the bright green vallaslin of Mythal on her face. Solas ripped his hand away as if had been burned, then the glow of green caught his eye and he could hear the music of the fade. He looked to see the glowing come from her hand and he reached out for it, cradling it in his hand. Her hand was long and slender, he could see her life etched onto her palm and fingers, could feel the warmth of her life in her skin, but he looked past it to see the Mark....the Mark that held the symbol of the Dread Wolf.

 

"Shit." He muttered as he set to work to bring her back.

 

~3 days later~

 

Solas felt the arrows feathers brush his ear as he saw it stick into the demon he had been fighting. "You nearly got me Varric." The mage snapped.

 

"Dont look at me Chuckles." Varric yelled back. 

 

He turned and saw the Lady Seeker running up behind them, and behind her was the elven woman. Without thinking, once again, he grabbed her wrist tightly. "Close the rift!"

 

"I don't know how!" She yelled back, her face close enough that he could see her vallaslin as well as the color of her now open eyes. They were the color of the spring in the Emerald Graves.

 

He growled as he battled back the surge of lust and lifted her hand to the Rift, watching as she took the energy into herself. The Rift closed with an echoing boom and he watched her look at her hand with awe and was surprised when he saw no fear there. "It would seem you have the power to close the rifts." He mused. He watched as she flexed her fingers, he was intrigued by her reaction to everything and he felt a strange pull to her. He saw her talking with Varric and stepped forward. “If introductions are being made I am Solas, and I am pleased to see that you still live.”

 

“He means, I kept that mark from killing you while you slept.” Varric chuckled.

 

Her green eyes, sparkling and reflecting the Breach in the sky, regarded him with caution as well as practiced politeness. “Then I thank you. I am Caladwen of clan Lavallen.” she said as she bowed respectfully to him.

 

He was impressed by her. "Caladwen?"

 

She graced him with a smile. A small turn of her lips but it lit ip her eyes. "Stick around Solas and I'll tell you the story." She laughed, a sound as pure as the music of the fade and h3 watched her follow Cassandra over a low wall.

 

"Shit Chuckles, had no idea you could look like that." Varric laughed as he followed the two women.

 

Solas snorted as he shook himself and went after them.


	2. Chapter 2

Caladwen....she was a marvel. Solas mused to himself as he watched her going to the chantry. She walked with her head held high, her hair pulled back into a tight bun, displaying her Vallaslin and her Dalish ways proudly, and she had traded the ill fitting uniform for a hunters coat that cinched at her waist giving her body room to move and a more feminine look. She walked among the humans who bowed before her with an air of grace and nobility that he hadn't seen in many years. He was curious about her, he turned to look up at the Breach. "With her help, perhaps I can fix my mistakes." He muttered.

"What was that Chuckles?"

Solas was snapped back to reality, he had forgotten the story teller was with him. "Ah forgive me Varric, just an old elf in his own mind."

The child of the stone chuckled as he shook his head. "You aren't that old. Drinks and a game of Wicked Grace at the tavern tonight?"

Solas inclined his head. "As long as I get to hear more about the elf with Lyrium tattooed into his flesh." He watched as Varric tipped his head back and laugh as he walked down the steps to the tavern and the small campfire he'd taken to standing around, an easy place for those who wished to hear his stories to warm themselves and listen. Solas let out a small breath as he moved himself to sit on a low wall, pulling out a book and he continued to read.

"Solas?" Her voice came out of no where, causing him to jolt, snapping the book shut. He looked up to see her barely suppressing a grin and her eyes glittering. "Good book?" She asked, her hands behind her back as she rocked from her heels to her toes.

"For humans perhaps. The story of Andreaste is one that must be explored more if shes chosen an elf for her Herold."

Caladwen sighed. "I wish that they would stop calling me that."

"Would you prefer the Herold of Mythal?" He all but snapped at her.

She took it gracefully. "No, in fact I wish I could just be Caladwen. I can not go back to my clan while this is on my hand." She said flexing her fingers.

"Have you a husband or children?" He found himself asking.

She laughed. "No, nothing like that. Only my mother and father are still with the clan and I miss them terribly.”

He watched her for a moment. “Caladwen, how old are you?” He asked her softly.

She groaned and covered her face, as if she had been asked this question many times before. “I know I look young, but I swear by Fen’Harel I am older than I look.” he saw a flash of green as one of her eyes peered at him from between her fingers. “Im 25.” she muttered finally.

"25?" He echoed and he saw a flash of annoyance cross her face.

"Yes 25, but I completed my first Hunt and became a full Hunter when I was 14. I took down a bear by myself." She reached into her neckline and pulled out a leather necklace with two fairly large bears teeth on the string.

He reached forward and lifted the necklace up, seeing something carved into the teeth. "These carvings...."

"Its Mythal and Fen'Harel." She said softly, as if waiting for him to reprimand her.

"Why them?" He asked, he felt his heart picking up its pace. 

"Because I think that the stories about Fen'Harel were wrong. I dont think he was as evil as he is said to be." She shrugged.

"How would you know?"

"Ive heard the stories, the cautionary tales but something in my heart tells me that our stories are so lost to time that we only see what we wish and the Dalish wish to blame someone." 

"I am impressed da'len. That is very wise." And he truly was, hearing that an elf didn't think he was evil as the stories painted him gave him hope.

"Or its a foolish childs fantasy. My Mother often told me that I simply feel pity for the Dread Wolf and I'd see reason when I grew older. But the older I grow the more I feel for him." She shook her head and sighed her finger brushing along the delicate lines of her vallaslin on her cheeks.

Solas longed to reach out to her, to follow the lines on her face. She shook him, no one felt pity for the Dread Wolf, yet this woman boldly stated her ideals...

"..... besides I think they should call me the Herold of Fen'Harel." She laughed bringing him out of his thoughts.

His eyes narrowed at her. "Why?"

She lifted her hand. "I cant quite make it out but I thought I saw the mark of the Dread Wolf on my hand when I woke up this time." She opened her mouth to say more when a messenger ran up.

"Lady Herold, the Lady Seeker requests that you and Messar Solas meet her at the front gate. She is ready to leave." The man bowed deeply and Solas arched a brow at her.

"Oh yes....I was going to ask you if you'd come with us to the Hinterlands. We could use your magical expertise...and I would love your company."

The request was innocent enough but it stirred something primal in him. "Of course. Let us go." He grabbed his pack and staff, motioning for her to lead the way. She smiled shyly at him as she turned and easily hopped over the stairs. He snorted at her antics but a smile tugged at his lips, he followed her path, his footsteps easily following in hers in a single line.

 

~~~~~~

The situation in the Hinterlands was worse than anyone thought, Mages and Templars fighting, bandits on the road, innocents being caught in the crossfire, and it was painful to see. Cassandra had tried to reason with the Templars, Solas with the Mages and both Varric and Caladwen simply fired their arrows, working to protect the wounded, their soldiers, and Mother Giselle. When the fighting was over Solas looked to see Caladwen kneeling by the body of an elven child, one caught in the fighting. She lifted a hand and closed the boys eyes, muttering a small prayer in her broken elvish.

“That Prayer.” He said softly.

“The child was one of the People...even if he didn’t know it. All Elves are connected, our shared blood gives us something to hang on to.” She sighed and pushed herself to her feet, leaning on her bow as she looked around. “This….this is a shit storm, there is no clear line of blame yet somehow history will find a villain in the mages just as history found fault in the elves all those years ago. How many children fear walking outside? How many mothers clutch their children to them for fear of the demons or the templars ripping them away?” She turned to him and he felt himself floored by the fire behind her eyes. She opened her mouth to say more when a voice interrupted them.

“If you feel so strongly about this, then perhaps you are just what we need.” Mother Giselle stepped forward and motioned for Caladwen to follow her. He watched her go, the sway of her hips was hypnotic until a voice interrupted his thoughts.

“Shit Chuckles, you got it bad.” Varric laughed.

Solas felt his eye twitch as he looked down at the dwarf. “Whatever you think you see you are wrong child of the stone.” he all but growled and knew if he had hair his heckles would be raised.

"Oh come off it Chuckles. I'm a dwarf and I can see how beautiful she is." 

"Then why do you not chase her?" 

Varric gave a sad smile as he rested his hand lovingly on Bianca. "Would believe me if I said my heart was already gone?"

Solas was at a loss for words when Caladwen walked over. "The Mother is being escorted back to Haven by Harding. I found letters about a mage stronghold and a templar stronghold. We also need to get these people food, blankets, and an elven woman is having problems breathing..."

"Is all of this necessary?" Cassandra asked.

Caladwen looked at her. "Yes." She said simply before walking off, letting people touch her as they thanked her and begged for her help.

Varric let out a small laugh. "Shit....now I need to rethink her nickname." Solas and Cassandra both looked at him and he shrugged. "Somehow Lightning doesn't do her justice."

"Lightning?" Solas asked.

Varric laughed. "Have you seen how fast she strikes? Or moves for that matter? But seeing her here among people shes....well shes something else."

"Are you coming or not?" She yelled at them making everyone spring into action to follow her.


End file.
